Shelley Lapkoff, Ph.D., Demographer

We memorize it at an early age and repeat it at public gatherings, but few know the real story behind the Pledge of Allegiance. In this national election year, when words and phrases like “patriotism” and “under God” invoke heated discussion, Lapkoff provides an intriguing and insightful glimpse of our broader social, economic and political history through the lens of this enshrined collective oath.